Shirt.



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

Specication of Letters Patent.

Patented July 17, 1906.

Application filed January 17, 1906. Serial No. 296,481

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that '1, AROBERT WILLIAM LORD, a citizen ofthe United States of America, and a resident of Skowhegan, in the county of Somerset and State of Maine, have invented certain new and useful Improvep ment in use.

ments in Shirts, of which the following is a specification. j

This invention relates to certain new and useful improvementsl in neglige shirts of that class which are provided with stiifening means to give to the collar a more tid and dressy appearance and to enable the co lar to retain its shape.

The present invention is a departure from the constructions heretofore devised; and it consists, mainly, in the widening ofthe neckband and stifening the same, so as to raise the collar, bringing it up on the neck and doing away with the vacant look that there usually is in the low band, and thus insuring a neater and more dressy look. I rovide the neckband with a pocket forme between plies of the same and introduce thereinto a stifener which may be readil removed when the shirt is washed, but eld against displace- The stiifener has its ends narrowed, so las to extend beyond and over the buttonholes in the neckband andto overlap when the neckband is buttoned about the neck to give additional rigidity at the front.

The opening for the introduction of the stiffener is on the outside of the neckband and adjacent the buttonhole, and when the shirt is buttoned this opening to the pocket in the neckband is concealed by the overlapping portion at the front. By my construction I provide a better setting collar and a shirt that in many cases will take the place of the shirt with a starched collar, inthat it will resemble onein appearance and yet be soit and not drooping if wet. I insert the stiiiener from the outside and dispose it so that it is im ossible for it to come in contact with or c afe the neck of the wearer.

Other objects and advantages of theinvention will hereinafter appear, and the novel construction will be particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

AThe invention in its preferred form is clearlyillustrated in the accom an g drawings, which, with thev numera s o reference marked thereon, form 'a part of this specification, and in which- Y Figure 1 is a front view ofthe upper portion of a neglige shirt having my improvement applied thereto. Fig. 2 is a detail in front elevation, showing a portion of the collar turned back. Fig. 3 is a similar view with the other side of the collar thrown open and a portion broken away. Fig. 4 is a sectional detail on the line 4 4 of Flg. 2. Fig. 5 is a view of the stifener removed and shown broken in two.

Like numerals of reference indicate like parts throughout the several views. Y

Referring to the drawings, 1 designates the upper portion of a neglige shirt, 2 the neckband, and 3 the collar, of the same. This neckband is widened or made higher than usual and is Jformed of a plurality of plies of material, in this instance two, 4 and 5, as seen' most clearly in Fig. 4. Between these two plies is formed a pocket in whichis adapted to be retained a stiiiener 6, which latter may be made of celluloid or any other suitable material having sufficient stiffness or rigidity combined with flexibility. This pocket extends preferably to the extreme ends of the neckband beyond the buttonholes, being closed at one end, while adjacent the other end there is provided an opening 7, between which and the adjacent end of the neckband is formed the buttonhole 8. This opening or entrance to the pocket is so disposed that it is covered and concealed by they overlappin portion 9,.which is the other end of the nec band,A and this in turn is overlapped by the end 10 of the collar, as will be clearly understood from Figs. 1, 2, and 3.

The shape of the stiiener 6 is clearly shown in Fig. 5, the same having its ends cut away or reduced in width, as seen at 11, so that the stiiiener may be made to extend over the buttonholes in the neckband and beyond the same to the end ofthe band. This gives additional stiiness at the front and serves to prevent drooping of the neckbandat that point, as wellas serving to keep the neckband distended vertically, so that the col- TOO lar3 will give a neat and dressy appearance to the shirt, as seen clearly in Figs. l and 4. The stiffener is introduced into the pocket through the opening 7, the said stiienerbeing sufficiently flexible or liable to permit of the 'extreme end thereo passed through the opening so as to extend into the end of the' pocket over the buttonhole, as indicated in Fig. 3. It maybe readily removed, if desired, when the shirt 1s to be washed.

being bent and IIO The stiiener instead `of extending beyond the buttonhole adjacent the opening 7 ma termina/te at said opening, if desired, depen ing upon the other end of the stiflener, which extends over and beyond the adjacent buttonhole, as seen in Fig. 2, to give the requisite stifl'ness at the front. In such case the stiffener would be similar to that hereinbefore described, being sim ly cut oli along the dotted line seen at the eft of Fig. 5. Also the opening for the introduction of the sti'ffener may be made at any other convenient point in the outside ply or plies of the neckband.

What is claimed as new is- 1. As an improved article of manufacture a shirt having a turn-over collar and a neckband, t-he latter being widened vertically and provided with a pocket, and a stiflener removably inserted and inclosed within said pocket and having its ends reduced in width and the reduced portions extended over only and beyond the front buttonholes ol the neckband.

2. As an improved article of manufacture a shirt provided ywith a multi- 1y neckband having an opening in the outsidl ply thereof, and a pocket between said plies w1th which said opening communicates, and a stiiener inclosed in said pocket and having its ends reduced in width with the reduced portions extended above and out of alinement with the buttonholes.

3. As an improved article of manufacture, a neglige shirt having a widened neckband and a turn-over collar secured thereto, the neckband having a slit covered by the collar when buttoned, and a stilener confined within the neckband with its ends overlapped at the front and reduced in width to avoid the buttonholes.

Signed by me at Skowhegan, Maine, this 15th day of January, 1906.

ROBERT WILLIAM Loan Witnesses:

MYRTis E. GENTHNER, CLARA E. GooDRIoH. 

